Inside LA's drive-thru (and bulletproof) funeral home

Want fries with that? Not a likely question you’ll be asked at this drive-thru.

For nearly 40 years, a funeral home in southern Los Angeles county has been adding a dash of convenience to the business of death.

The mortuary, located in Compton, claims to offer an efficient way for prominent members of the community to be viewed en masse. Elderly who have a hard time walking don't have to leave their cars.

One possible reason for the drive-thru's success could stem back to the 1980s, when Compton was a hotbed for gang violence. The LA Times reported that cemetery shootouts made gang members reluctant to gather for graveside services. And since the glass partition of the Robert L. Adam's funeral parlor is bulletproof, it became a popular location for gang funerals.

Lucy Nicholson / Reuters

The Robert L. Adams drive-thru funeral parlor is seen in Compton, Los Angeles, on Wednesday, Feb. 8. . The funeral parlor has been in business since 1974, and is thought to be the only drive-through funeral home in southern California, according to office manager Denise Knowles-Bragg.

Owner Peggy Scott Adams, who married into the business in the late 80s, carried on the drive-thru tradition when her husband died in 2005.

"You can come by after work, you don't need to deal with parking, you can sign the book outside and the family knows that you paid your respects," Scott Adams told the Times. "It's a convenience thing."

Lucy Nicholson / Reuters

People view the body of the late Robert Sanders, 58, lying at the Robert L. Adams drive-throu funeral parlor in Compton, Los Angeles on Wednesday. The parlor offers a convenient alternative to older people who find it hard to walk, those who want to make a quick stop during the lunch hour, and the families of well-known deceased people who expect many visitors.

There are a few other drive-thru funeral parlors across the U.S., with at least one in Chicago and Louisiana.